Orchard heater



ORCHARD HEATER Filed Aug. 10, 1940 ooc-oooaW-oqoobbooo and 000000 oooo onm Kfi Egg Patented Sept. 12, 1944 William C. Scheu, Upland, Calif.; Henrietta Scheu, W. Leland Scheu, and C. H. Dekker, executors of said William C. Scheu, deceased, assignors to Scheu Products Company, Ltd., a

corporation of California Application August 10, 1940, Serial No. 352,088

4 "Claims.

The present invention relates generally to orchard heaters, and more especially to means for stabilizing the heating flame and for providing and regulating air supply to the heating flame. This invention is especially applicable to flat-top and stackless heaters which comprise a fuel receptacle closed on its upper side by a relatively flat cover which is movable with respect to the receptacle to form an opening of greater or lesser size as may be desired at which the heating flame is maintained.

There not being any stack to enclose the flame, the flame in this type of heater is to a large eX- tent in the open and subject to being blown out by wind. Consequently, considerable difficulty is encountered in maintaining a fire, especially a low one, in heaters of this type, when the heater is exposed to gusts of wind. Also, the air supply to heaters of this type has not been satisfactory because there has been no means of changing the quantity of air reaching the flame in accordance with the size of the flame. The result has been too little air at high fire and too much at low fire.

Thus it is a general object of my invention to provide means for stabilizing the flame in such a heater, and make the flame more resistant to the wind.

It is also an object of the invention to provide improved air supply means that introduces air underneath the cover to the flame in variable quantity according to the size 'of'the flame which it is desired to maintain.

How the above, as well as other objects and advantages of my invention not specifically mentioned, are attained, will be better understood by reference to the following description and the annexed drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an orchard heater constructed in accord with my invention, with a portion of one side wall of the fuel receptacle and a portion of the cover broken away;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the sliding cover of the heater of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary .plan view of a variational form of my invention;

Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary vertical sections on lines 6-6 and -'|-'l respectively of Fig. 5. There is shown in Figs. l-3 an orchard heater I which comprises a fuel receptacle l that is adapted to contain a quantity of fuel oil and is rectangular in cross-section. Receptacle H] has imperfora'te bottom and side walls and an open upper side or top which is closed by cover l2. The exactshape and size of the fuel receptacle is of course immaterial except that it should be sufficiently large to adequately hold the desired amount of fuel oil. walls are preferably straight, and two opposite side walls are rolled over as at M to provide a pair of parallel rails along which cover l2 slides.

Preferably, the entire upper side of fuel receptacle I0 is open, and cover I2 is of a size to completely cover this open side. At t-wo opposite sides of cover l2, the marginal portions ["5 are bent downwardly in an arcuate formation conforming to side rails 14in order to hold cover I! in place on the top of the fuel receptacle, and at the same time permit horizontal movement of the cover over the open top of the fuel receptacle. At its back end, cover I2 is provided with a depending or turned-down flange l6 which not only'acts as a stop member to prevent the cover from being advanced beyond the fullyclosed position shown in Fig. 1 by the dot-dash lines, but flange 16 also acts as a handle which may be grasped to move the cover with respect to the receptacle. At its opposite or forward end, cover I2 is provided with an upturned marginal portion or flange IS in which is a plurality of apertures I9, as may be seen clearly from Fig. 2. The apertures l9 are preferably closely spaced and distributed throughout substantially the entire width of the open upper side of the fuel recept'acle.

The central portion 20 "of cover [-2 is raised or displaced upwardly from the plane of the marginal portions thereof, preferably by a stamping operation which bendsor deforms the central portion upwardly. The purpose of this raised portion 20 is to admit air underneath the cover to the interior of fuel receptacle l0 'and thus supply to the heating flame the air necessary to support combustion. Since the flat'm'arginal portions of cover l2 fit tightly against the top edges 'of the side walls of the receptacle, these top edges being in'a common horizontal plane, only a relatively small constant "amount of 'air can leak through between the cover and the receptacle to reach the flame when the entire top is flat. But by raising the central portion, a gap can be provided at 2| between the top of the back wall of the receptacle and the under side of cover 12 when'the raised portion 20 "of the cover is over this wall, as when the cover oc- The top edges of all side.

cupies the position in Fig. 1. At the same time,

by'advancing the cover to the fully closed posi- H) are provided overhangs the side wall of the receptacle.

In operation, cover I2 is moved back from the fully closed position to some such position as 7 shown by the full lines of Fig. 1 to expose a portion of the open upper side of the fuel receptacle, and there is formed an opening at 22 at which the heating flame is maintained. The heating flame burns above the body of fuel oil contained inreceptacle Illand extends upwardly through opening 22 into the atmosphere above the heater. The flame is startedby pouring onto the body of fuel oil a small amount of easily combustible igniting fluid which is lit and while burning vaporizes aportion of the fuel oil. These oil vapors become mixed with air entering the interior of receptacle l through gap Zl at the end of the heater removed from the flame, and burn'in the vicinity of Opening 22. The burning vapors rise through opening 22, and the remaining air necessary to complete combustion is provided by the surrounding atmosphere.

The size of the flame is regulated by moving cover l2 away from its forward or closed position to increase the size of opening 22; and as the cover is moved backwardly gap 2| between cover l2 and the rear wall of receptacle) is increased in size to admit an increasingly large amount of air to mix with the fuel vapors and to create an increasingly strong draft through the interior of the fuel receptacle. It has been found from experience that a generally circular shape of the raised portion as shown in; Fig. 3 is satisfactory;

and is preferred for manufacturing reasons.

However, any other suitable shape may be used A for the raised central portion on cover 12 such that movement of the cover to increase the size of opening 22 also operates to increase the size of the opening through which air reaches the interior. of receptacle ID. The circular shape is advantageous since after gap 2| is once open, added movement of cover l2, up to the mid-point of the cover increases both the height and width of the Air also reaches the burning flame through apertures IQ adjacent opening 22 and one edge of cover I2. In some cases, the air to the flame is broken up into a number of small streams through apertures l9, and in some cases the flame passes through the apertures forming in effect ones continue to burn and will reignite the oil vapors issuing through opening 22 and reestablish the main heating flame. As, a result, the

main heating flame is much more resistant to being extinguished by the wind, even though a large portion of it is exposed to the wind in the vicinity above the orchard heater.

There is shown in Fig. 4 a variational construction in which flange I8 is omitted and apertures 19 are placed inthe flat portion of cover [2 adjavided with a bore.

cent the leading edge of the cover. As shown by dot-dash lines, cover l2 may be advanced to entirely close the open upper side of receptacle l0 against the entry of air to the interior of the receptacle; and in the fully advanced'position, apertures l9 are'in that portion of cover 12 which overhangs-the side wall of the receptacle. The plurality of apertures l9 are arrange'd'along one edge of cover l2 adjacent opening 22, and preferably extend for substantially the full width of the cover.

Fig. 5 illustrateshow my invention may be applied to an orchard heater having an oil receptacle Illa of circular cross-section, having imperforate side walls and an open upper side. 7

Cover |2a is circular and of'a size to completely cover the open upper side of receptacle I Do. The cover is pivotally mounted by pin 26 on the fuel receptacle, and is provided on the opposite side with a handle 2] by means of which the cover may be moved with respect to the fuel receptacle. Details of the hinge arrangement attaching the cover to the fuel receptacle are shown in Fig. 7. U-shaped member 30 is attached to the outside of fuel receptacle lfladjacent the upper rim and has two vertically spaced outstanding legs that are providedvwith vertically alined bores. A flat strap 3| is attached to cover I2a, and is also pro- Pivot pin 26 passes through the bores in strap 3! and the legs of hinge member 30. The legs of member 30 support pin 26 in a substantially vertical position since the legs engage the pin at two different locations which are Vertically spaced by a distance sufiicient to keep the pin from twisting under the weight of cover [2a. The pivotpin is held in place by cotter key 32 or a similar device, which is preferably placed just under the upper leg of U-shaped member 30 where the cotterkey is better protected. The engaging horizontal. surfaces of members 30 and 3| are preferably of considerable lateral extent in order that Whenheld in snug engagement by the head of pin '26 and cotter key 32, cover |2a is maintained closelyhorizontal and does not depart from this position even when swung aside to make opening 22a relatively large.

Since pin 26 is outside the periphery of the oil receptacle, movement of the cover around the pin causes the cover to slide over the rim of the oil receptacle and form the crescent-shaped opening 22a by uncovering; a portion of the open upper side of the receptacle.

Cover |2a is provided with a. plurality of apertures 19 in a marginal portion thereof and close to a portion of its periphery adjacent opening 220. and so located that when the cover is advanced to the fully closed position in order to shut off air supply to the interior of the receptacle, apertures [9 are in that portion of the cover which overhangs the edge of the oil recep-v tacle, as shown by the dot-dash lines of Fig. 5. When the cover I20, is slid back partially to form an opening 22a, openings I9 operate to stabilize the flame maintained at this opening, in the manner previously described.

The central portion of cover 12a is also'provided with a generally circular raised portion 20a in order to form a gap between the cover and the rim of the'fuel receptacle through which air may pass to be admitted to the interior of the fuel receptacle and mix with the oil vapors therein to support the heating flame maintained at opening 22a. Except for the circular, instead of rectangular, shape of the receptacle and cover These apertures operate to stabilize the flame in the manner described above.

therefor, it will be seen that the orchard heater of Figs. and 6 is substantially the same as the heater of Fig. 4, and operates in the same manner as described above. I

From the foregoing description it will be seen that various changes may be made in the formal arrangement of parts of my improved orchard heater; and consequently it is to be understood that the foregoing description is to be construed as illustrative of rather than limitative upon the invention defined by the appended claims.

I claim: v

1. An orchard heater comprising a fuel receptacle having imperforate side walls and an open upper side; and a cover of a size greater than the area of the open upper side of the fuel receptacle and movable to one position to com- 1etely cover said open upper side and project outwardly over the upper ends of all of said side walls, said cover being movable in a direction away from one side of the receptacle to another position to uncover a portion of said open upper side and form an opening at which a heating flame is maintained, said cover having a marginal portion at the side thereof adjacent said one side of the receptacle provided with a plurality of apertures so positioned as to be disposed adjacent said opening when said cover is in said other position and to b disposed wholly outwardly beyond the side wall of the receptacle when said cover is in said one position, and said cover having a raised central portion removed from said one side thereof and movable with said cover into position abovethe side wall at the opposite side of the receptacle on movement of the cover to said other position, so as to admit air underneath the cover to the flame.

2. An orchard heater comprising imperforate wall means defining a fuel receptacle having an open upper side, the upper edges of the wall means lying substantially in a plane; and a cover of a size sufficient to engage and project outwardly over the upper edges of the wall means and movable to one position to cover entirely said open upper side and said upper edges of the wall means, said cover being movable while engaging the upper edges of the wall means to another position to uncover a portion of said open upper side and form an opening at one side of the receptacle at which a heating flame is maintained, said cover having a raised central portion that is movable with the cover into position above the wall means at the opposite side of the receptacle on movement of the cover to said other position, so as to admit air underneath the cover to the flame.

3. An orchard heater as set forth in claim 2, said cover having a marginal portion adjacent said one side of the receptacle provided with a V plurality of apertures that are so positioned as to be disposed adjacent said opening when said cover is in said other position and to be disposed wholly outwardly beyond the upper edge of the wall means at said one sid when said cover is in said one position.

4. An orchard heater comprising a fuel receptacle of substantially rectangular horizontal cross-section having imperforate side and end walls and an open upper side; and a cover of greater size than said open upper side and being movable along the upper edges of the side walls between a first position completely covering said open upper side and projecting outwardly over said side and end walls and a second position partly uncovering said open upper side to form between one end of the cover and one end wall of the receptacle an opening at which a heating flame is maintained, the marginal portion of the cover at said one end overhanging said one end wall when the cover is in its first position, said marginal portion having a plurality of apertures that are so positioned as to be disposed adjacent said opening when said cover i in said second position and to be disposed wholly outwardly beyond said one end wall of the receptacle when said cover is in said first position, and said cover having a generally circular raised central portion that on increased movement of the cover to enlarge said opening admits air to the flame in increased quantities between the raised central portion and the upper edge of the other end wall.

WILLIAM C. SCHEU. 

